This invention relates to slant axis rotary mechanisms, and, more particularly, to such mechanisms employed as engines, compressors, pumps, or the like.
The most pertinent prior art known to the applicant includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,218 issued on Dec. 23, 1969 to J. M. Clarke.
Existing slant axis rotary mechanisms employ housings having circumferential splits dividing the housing or casing into front and rear sections. Peripheral seals disposed on a rotor within an operating chamber defined by the housing casings, travel in a path wherein they intersect the split line at a very small angle which is not conducive to the building of a good oil film to provide adequate lubrication.
Moreover, circumferential splitting of the housing does not allow the surfaces defining the operating chamber to be machined such that the machining marks run in a direction other than substantially about the circumference. Again, seals carried by the rotor intersect the machining marks at very small angles which is not conducive to the building of a good oil film necessary to provide adequate lubrication.
In addition, the approach employed to date is not conducive to the provision of sharp corners at the intersection of the radially outer spherical surface and the end surfaces of the operating chamber. Thus, adequate sealing in the region of such corners is difficult to achieve.
In addition, the end walls of such mechanisms have heretofore been made straight from the radially inner point to the radially outer point when viewed in cross section about the entire end surface. At the same time, the mating surfaces of the rotor flange have similarly been made straight. As a consequence, considerable deflection exists during operation requiring that the rotor be made smaller than its theoretical size to avoid interference between the rotor and the housing during operation due to such deflections. As a consequence, the compression ratio or volumetric efficiency of the mechanism is reduced.